Midnight Sun
by TexasGlamFan
Summary: Lost Girl AU Story: Location: Antarctica. Marine Biologist, Bo Dennis thinks she has it all as she starts an exciting new job in a remote research facility. New adventure in the frigid Land of the Midnight Sun. With nowhere to run when sparks fly, her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets a young doctor and helicopter pilot Lauren Lewis. (Doccubus)
1. Chapter 1

Mornings and I are generally not on good terms, and even though I'm buzzing with excitement, this morning is no exception. I settle into my window seat, hoping like hell that I can sleep for most of the thirteen hour flight ahead of me, but the chances are slim considering the gallon of coffee I drank at the airport less than an hour ago.

Pulling out the paperback book I've been reading, but have only been mildly interested in, I mindlessly thumb through the pages. Silently wishing for the seat next to me to remain empty, but the plane is filling up fast. I could really use some quiet time to mentally recharge after the hectic month I've had preparing for this trip. More than a trip, really...it's a brand new start. Even after weeks of preparation, this doesn't feel real to me yet. None of it. What I'm about to do is still settling in.

My flight is headed to Santiago, Chile, with a refueling stop midway in San Jose, Costa Rica, but that's just the beginning. I'm starting a new job. Sounds great, right? It is. Only I've never been one of those people who does things the easy way. It's taken me 12 years of college and 3 failed relationships to get here, but that's all just water under the bridge, I suppose.

I'm the newest member of a research team at Palmer Research Station.

Name: Bo Dennis

Occupation: Marine biologist

Location: The coldest, most desolate end of earth

That's not much of an exaggeration. Palmer Station is the smallest of only three permanently manned U.S. research facilities located in Antarctica. It's located on Anvers Island and staffed year round with around 40 people in the summer and half that during the winter.

To get there, you have to really want to be there.

The station isn't serviced by aircraft; there's no landing strip, and only one helicopter goes in or out. Once we land in Santiago, I'll have to board an icebreaker ship for the final leg of my journey. It will then take 4.5 days on the open water, passing over the equator and traveling through Drake Passage, known to be some of the roughest seas in the world. It freaked me out a little when I read that some 20,000 sailors have lost their lives exploring these icy waters.

There are really only two notable seasons in Antarctica, summer and winter. During the winter months, the sun remains very low in the sky or doesn't even rise at all. Where it does rise, the days are short. During these months, the icy waters are dangerous to attempt passage. I'm hoping my carefully planned arrival will be safe and uneventful. January is considered summer there since the seasons are opposite from the Northern hemisphere. It's also the time of year where the sun never completely sets.

Only a few vessels regularly navigate these waters called the Antarctic Convergence. It's where cold Antarctica water meets warm southern Atlantic water creating an area intensely rich with marine life. This convergence also prevents the colder waters from flowing too far from the continent, which is one reason why Antarctica stays so damn cold.

It's basically a 14 million square kilometer sheet of ice.

That's the charming place I'm now going to call home. It's going to take some time for this California girl to adjust to the change. Even the most ardent scientists are reluctant to work in such an isolated and extreme environment, and yet that's exactly the type of challenge that excites me. I'm either wildly adventurous or out of my freaking mind.

Probably both.

There's a lot of interesting work being done at the station, ranging from the study of the local Gentoo penguin population, to autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that roam the sea for weeks gathering data on phytoplankton. Marine biology and ornithology are the primary projects at the facility, but there are also ongoing geology, meteorology, and atmospheric studies.

I'm excited and curious to find out what the other scientists and staff will be like. Everyone signs a six-month contract to work at Palmer, but some of the team have been at the station for many seasons, devoting years of their lives to their research. I'm certain it will be a huge learning experience for me, being around people who are passionate about their work, but I also have to wonder if they will be open and accepting to a new kid in town.

I'm not really that young. I'm 32, but I've been around long enough to know how dreadfully stuffy some scientists can be. Once I'm there, I'll have nowhere to run if they don't like me, or worse yet, if I don't like them. It's nearly 700 nautical miles from the island back to Chile. I laugh to myself, because of the situation I could find myself in, and a little from sheer nervousness, but I know my decision has been made.

Everything has been set in motion. There's really no turning back now.

Closing my eyes, I mentally check off the list of things I needed to pack for my new adventure in the polar desert. The normal travel philosophy is to pack as light as you can because anything beyond your passport and credit card is not considered absolutely essential. Whatever you've forgotten can probably be found once you get there. Antarctica is definitely an exception to this rule. If I forgot something, I will most likely have to do without it.

Almost as if reading my mind, a petite girl plops down in the seat next to me. "I hope you remembered to pack your toothbrush, because _that_ could be a helluva situation, am I right?"

She has long, dark hair which strikingly contrasts the brightest blue eyes I think I've ever seen. Her smile lights up her entire face, and my face immediately responds with a smile of my own. She shrugs out of her backpack which looks like it easily weighs more than she does, yet she somehow manages to stuff it underneath the seat directly in front of her.

Reaching into the pocket of her hoodie, she pulls out a fistful of Twizzlers and generously offers me one. "I'm Kenzi. I never leave home without snacks. Don't worry, there's a lot more where this came from."

My stomach involuntarily growls in response, and I take the red candy, thinking it would probably be rude to turn it down. "Thank you. I'm Isabeau, but my friends call me Bo. Is that what your backpack is stuffed with - Twizzlers?"

"Gurl, listen, I'm not even gonna lie. My stash would make Willy Wonka weep with envy. The downside is that it took me 45 minutes to get through airport security. I thought for sure I was gonna miss the flight, but holla! I made it." She waves her red candy in the air like a magic wand, and I can't help but laugh.

I'd only met her a few short minutes ago, but I could already tell we were going to hit it off.

"Bo, please don't think I'm rude if I fall asleep in a few minutes. I'm not trying to avoid the whole awkward stranger convo thing; it's just that flying makes me hella nervous, so I'm gonna try and catch a few winks. Also, didn't anyone ever tell you not to take candy from strangers?"

She barely finishes the last sentence before she's out, snoring softly.

I suddenly realize this young girl has managed to make me smile more in five minutes than I have all week. There's something about her that puts me at ease.

Finally the airplane door shuts, all seats are secured in their full upright positions, and we're barreling down the runway. I look out the window, and my stomach flutters with a crazy mixture of excitement and nervousness.

This is really happening. Antarctica, here I come.

I feel like I'm leaving everything behind and strangely, that thought doesn't scare me. Somehow it feels right. I close my eyes and welcome the new beginning and the refreshing winds of change.

It doesn't take long before I drift off to sleep, thinking about all the possibilities ahead for me in the mysterious land of the midnight sun.

Santiago, Chile

I wake up when the pilot announces that we are only minutes from landing in Santiago. I guess I somehow slept through refueling in Costa Rica. Still groggy, I look over at Kenzi and she is squeezing her eyes shut tightly and concentrating all her energy on breathing. Realizing I'm awake, she grabs my hand and grips it hard as the airplane makes its slow descent. Surprisingly, the gesture doesn't feel like an awkward invasion of my personal space, considering it's someone I've only just met. She's turning pale, and I'm just glad I can be here to support the poor girl.

The landing is successful and Kenzi has apparently fully recovered from her fear of flying because she's excitedly talking 65 miles an hour, and I can barely keep up with her. After a much needed restroom break in the airport, we head over together to wait in the customs line. We're processed in only 20 minutes, half the time we expected. There's an advantage to arriving at 2 am.

I'm prepared to say goodbye to my new found travel buddy and catch a shuttle to Hero Inlet, aptly named after the 125 foot ship _Hero_ that docks there. Then Kenzi excitedly informs me that she's also traveling on the same ship. I'm a little nervous about the potentially rough seas on the trip ahead, so I'm relieved to have her company, even if only for a little while longer.

Then it suddenly dawns on me…if she's boarding _Hero_, it must mean she's also going to Palmer Station.

Everyone who works at Palmer has reasons for doing so, but Kenzi is so young, I never expected she would be headed there. After a few minutes, I can't contain my curiosity any longer. I just have to know - why is she going to an obscure research facility in Antarctica? Is she an adventure-seeking tourist? Is she running away from a life of crime? Is she visiting family there?

"Uh...wow. You have a pretty vivid imagination, dontcha Bo? I'm going to Palmer Station on a university research grant. Primarily to photograph ongoing projects there, but between you and me, I really want to see the penguins!" She winks and nods enthusiastically, and I have to admit once again that her charisma is contagious.

Soon we are boarding the steel vessel together, and I'm able to confirm that all of our baggage has also been loaded onto the ship. That puts my mind at ease until the captain announces that there are strong winds ahead, and the trip may take a little longer than expected. He explains that this is just a normal day at the office for him, and not to worry. He and his crew have made this trek countless times. I feel reassured, but that doesn't stop the various Titanic scenarios running through my head.

In less than 2 hours we'll leave the dock. That gives us some time to find our cabin and explore the ship. We're offered some food from the ships galley, but there's no way I'm going to eat anything before we head out into rolling waters. I opt for dramamine and two generous shots of whiskey instead.

I offer some dramamine to Kenzi, but she brags that she doesn't need no stinkin' drugs, and she will tough it out on her 'sexy sea legs, like a boss.'

I watch as she meticulously removes the crusts from two ham and swiss sandwiches. Then she slathers on several packets of mayo, more than one person should probably ever consume, and eagerly scarfs them down. She chases it with a large root beer. As I observe her wiping the foam off her mouth and sighing contentedly, I have a sneaking suspicion that she's going to regret this decision later.

Our cabin is basically two sets of bunk beds welded into the cold steel gray ship wall, a small sink and a toilet. Just as the sun is beginning to come up, we are settling into bed. My sleep schedule is going to be royally messed up by the time I arrive. Hopefully there will be a day or two to adjust before any real work is required. Whatever happens, I'm sure I'll be able to roll with the punches. I made it through college on caffeine and adrenaline. I can do it again.

The ship begins to roll back and forth as we head out to open sea. That's my final cue to go to sleep. As I lay my head down on the pillow, I hear a few yelps and groans coming through the steel walls of the other cabins around us, as the vessel continues rock from side to side. Most of them are tourists, probably second guessing their decision to visit Antarctica instead of some warm tropical beach destination.

I don't know how, but I managed to doze off before the biggest waves hit. It seems I was able to sleep right through the worst of it. Kenzi did not fare as well. She tells me that she was rudely tossed out of her bunk a few times. I also notice unsecured items are scattered all over the cabin floor. I know she isn't exaggerating because I wake up with sore arms and cramping fingers. I realize that I must have been gripping the bed as I slept, subconsciously holding myself in place so I wouldn't roll out.

"I guess Sea Legs won't be your new nickname after all, huh, boss?" I begin to tease Kenzi until I realize she is holding her head between her hands and trying not throw up. She has terrible seasickness, which sucks the humor right out of the situation.

"What do you say, we go upstairs and get some fresh air?" I offer.

She's hesitant at first, but I gently pull her up by the arm before she has a chance to answer. I bundle her up snugly in her coat, and she wraps her arm around my waist for support after I put mine on. We gingerly make our way down the hallway and up some stairs, pushing open the large metal door between us and the main deck. Kenzi loosens her death grip on me once daylight and the cold breeze hit her face. Relief washes over her, and she breathes the fresh cold air into her lungs.

The temperature has noticeably dropped since the last time we were on deck. Zipping my coat up a little higher, I move closer to starboard to get a better view. If the wind isn't enough to take my breath away, the scenery certainly is. We are just a tiny speck in the midst of water and ice as far as the eye can see. I've never felt so small in my life. 

* * *

_**Hello...it's been awhile. I started this little story months ago, and I'll be honest that I'm not sure if I'm going to keep going with it...I think that will depend on your reviews and comments. If you want more, let me know...Maybe it will help motivate and inspire me to continue...This is an entirely AU story...100% Doccubus. I would love to hear from you...**_


	2. Chapter 2

Arrival at Palmer Station

* * *

The last few days on the water go by quickly. I have to admit Kenzi is a real trooper, and she finally earns her sea legs by the second day. For someone so small in stature, who looks like she might break in half from a brisk wind, she certainly has a toughness about her. Today she seems back to her normal self, charming the ship cook to make special treats for her.

We spend most of our time in the galley, and Kenzi eagerly teaches me and some of the other travelers how to play Texas hold 'em, using candy for poker chips. It's during these games I realize how good Kenzi is at reading people. She can spot their tells and bet to her advantage (she has a huge pile of candy in front of her in no time). The girl has skills. I wonder what my tells are, and if she would even let me know if I asked her.

The captain makes an announcement that we are two hours from arrival at Anvers Island, so we all scramble back to our rooms to pack up our things before heading back out on deck to watch for the shoreline to appear. When it finally does, everyone is so happy to see land again, there is cheering and high fiving all around.

Once we are in the inlet, about 500 feet from shore, two black rubber Zodiac boats come to pick us up. One carries 8 passengers, and the other carries our luggage and supplies to shore. The boat driver introduces himself as Dyson. He is the instruments tech at Palmer, and also serves as a part-time tour guide for the half dozen or so ships that visit each season. He's tall, has a short scruffy beard, and looks to be physically fit under all the gear. The type of guy you'd expect to see out here in the tundra, I suppose. Not at all my type.

As we get closer to shore, I can see several blue painted buildings huddled together, standing out against the black rock and boulders of the island. Behind the station is nothing but a massive cliff of snow and ice.

Kenzi nudges me, "Listen, what happened on the ship stays on the ship. I have a reputation to uphold, ya know."

"Sure thing, Puke-y Brewster. Your secret is safe with me." I mock salute her.

Once we reach the shore, Dyson begins his tour, and Kenzi and I are greeted by the station operations coordinator, Evony. She is wearing a black knit cap over her shoulder length brown hair, a black hip-length coat and blue jeans. We have spoken on the phone several times over the last few months, and she always seems have a certain polish that's difficult to describe. She's strictly business, and a little intimidating. I had not expected her to also be quite so pretty.

Evony unabashedly looks me over, smiles and extends her hand to shake mine. "Welcome to Palmer Station. How was your trip?"

"I think we're just glad to finally be here," I reply, and Kenzi nods in agreement.

"Let's get you both situated in your rooms. After that, I'll need you both to fill out a mountain of paperwork. Then later I'll take you around the facilities and introduce you to the staff. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," I agree.

"Sounds good," Kenzi adds.

"Great! Follow me."

Gravel crunches underneath our boots as Evony describes the facilities. It's apparent that she's done this so many times before it's become routine.

"You may have noticed the boat docked just off shore. That's the Polar Duke Research Vessel. You'll learn more about her later. We also have a helicopter we call Polar Betty."

We walk up some steps to blue double doors leading into the a large two story building. Evony ushers us inside. I don't realize just how cold I am until the warm air inside wraps around me like a hug. My muscles immediately relax.

"Palmer Station consists of two main buildings and several ancillary structures. This is the main building, which we call the Biolab. The bottom floor has the biology laboratories where you'll be spending a lot of your time, as well as the dining hall, kitchen, communications facilities, and offices."

I notice people working in some of the offices, but we don't stop to talk to them. We walk up a flight of stairs, and proceed down a long hallway lined with doors on each side.

"The upper floor of Biolab provides living spaces for 22 people. Most of our female staff stays here. All rooms are assigned by me. If you have any issues with your room, you come to me."

We stop halfway down the corridor.

"Kenzi, this will be your room, B12. Bo, you're just across the hallway in this room, B13."

She gives us each a room key.

"Each room has a small bathroom, pillows, linens and blankets. You are responsible for your own laundry. The laundromat is located at the end of the hall. This is a small facility, so everyone is expected to pitch in for station clean up. Personnel are assigned specific cleaning duties by me. You are expected to pick up after yourself. Keep your room clean, and your trash emptied. In addition, every Saturday I will post the cleaning duties on the bulletin board in the dining room."

We continue walking down the corridor until we come to a large open area. There are comfy chairs and tables scattered around, and a massive stone fireplace along the back wall flanked by two windows.

Evony directs us to sit down at one of the tables as she continues to talk. She's pleasant enough, but matter of fact, like she's just going through the motions. I wonder if her mind is somewhere else.

"The two main buildings have six water heaters each. As you can imagine, hot water can be scarce during periods of peak population in the summer. Please be courteous and do not linger during these times. If it becomes a problem, I will assign shifts for showers. Again, if you have any issues with our facilities-"

"We come to you," I interject, letting Evony know I'm paying attention.

"Exactly. The larger building behind the Biolab is called the Commons. It contains a library, gym, media room, storage rooms, and the power plant. It also has room to house 21 more staff members. Currently the men are housed there."

Evony pauses a moment, "Any questions so far?"

"When is dinner?" Kenzi asks, surprising me not at all.

"Meals are served in the dining room, cafeteria style. Breakfast is 7-9 AM, Lunch is 12-2 PM, Dinner is from 6-8 PM."

Evony hands us both a clip board with a stack of forms. "Fill out all of these forms as best you can. I will be back here at 4:30 PM for any questions."

She looks down at her watch.

"That gives you an hour. I have scheduled each of you to see Dr. Lewis for a routine physical exam later this evening. Kenzi, you're scheduled at 7:00 PM. Bo, you're at 7:30 PM. Once again, welcome to Palmer. We're glad to have you as part of the team. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go help Dyson finish up with the facility tour, but I'll see you in about an hour."

As soon as she was out of sight, Kenzi immediately blurts out "Hoo boy, that lady has more armor up than Fort Knox."

Once again, nothing gets by Kenzi.

We sit silently and fill out our paperwork. Well, as silent as Kenzi _can_ be. She spreads her forms out, greedily taking up most of the real estate on the table. I glance over, really I can't help it since she's all in my space, and I notice that she doesn't fill out a last name on her forms. I'm curious, but I don't want to ask about it. It's really none of my business.

She finishes way before I do, probably because she fills in some of the questions with winky faces and unicorn doodles. For her, being here seems more like an adventure, not something to be taken too seriously. She leans her chair back on two legs, expertly balancing herself, and taps her pen relentlessly on the table. It's distracting as hell. Suddenly I feel like I'm trapped in _The Breakfast Club_.

"Kenzi, why don't you go down and check out the dining room? I bet you're anxious to start charming the cook. I'll meet you down there in a few minutes when I'm done filling out these last few pages."

"Weird! It's like you totally just read my mind."

She takes off like a warrior going to conquer in battle, leaving me to finish up by myself. It's my first real alone time in five days. It's just me and the comforting crackle of the fireplace. I'm thankful for a few minutes of space to think, and as expected, things go a little quicker now that I can concentrate. I'm finished filling out my forms in no time.

The distant sound of a helicopter gets closer, until it sounds like it's hovering directly overhead. Curious, I walk over to a window to try and get a look. The red and black chopper makes its slow descent with ease, landing on the helipad located on the flat rooftop of the Commons building, where I have a perfect view from my second story window.

There appears to be a pilot and two passengers aboard. I feel a little nosey, but I've never been in a helicopter before, so I stand there fascinated. The blades above the helicopter slow their rotation, and the two passengers climb out and begin unwinding long steel cables that are hooked to each corner of the helipad.

After a few moments the pilot descends from the cockpit, and I notice for the first time that it appears to be a woman.

She has a long, lean, but unmistakably feminine frame underneath all the flightgear. There is a confidence in her step, and a distinctive swagger in the sway of her hips that has me transfixed. I'll be damned if she doesn't look like she just stepped out of the movie _Top Gun_.

My interest has shifted from the helicopter to being entirely focused on this woman, wondering what her story is. She appears to be giving the others directions, and they are contentedly following her orders. They're all smiling and laughing, so it seems that she's friendly in her approach. I watch as they all work together to tether the helicopter down snugly on each side, probably a necessary safety precaution in the windy conditions of the island.

I don't know what I was expecting but I'm not prepared, as noted by my heart bumping around like a hammer inside my chest, when the pilot removes her helmet.

My breath catches in my throat when I catch my first real glimpse of her. She's absolutely stunning, with long blonde hair that flows delicately down to her shoulders. I'm captivated by the sight of her, and I can't bring myself to stop staring.

_Who is she?_

I want to know what her eyes look like beneath the aviator sunglasses.

_Please take them off. I want to see you._

Completely absorbed in my thoughts, I don't even notice when Evony enters the room behind me until she clears her throat to get my attention. I'm startled and quickly look away from the window in embarrassment.

_How long has she been standing there?_

"What did you find that's so fascinating?"

_Am I that obvious?_ My face feels flushed, and I clear my throat which has suddenly become dry. "Uh, I...yeah. The helicopter-Polar Betty, is that what you called it? I was just watching her-uh-it land."

She walks up beside me and looks out the window. I watch as her guard comes down for a brief second, and a warm smile flutters across her face when she looks at the pilot I've just been staring at. She quickly recovers and folds her arms in front of her.

"Are you done filling out your paperwork?" The smile has faded. She's right back to business, and I'm still trying to interpret what I just read from Evony's body language.

"Yes, I'm finished, and I have Kenzi's forms here too. She already went down to the dining hall."

A flicker of irritation crosses her face. "Well, let's go find her."

My stomach growls loudly as the smells from the dining hall reach my nose before we even get there. It smells like something Italian, maybe lasagna? Suddenly I'm starving for a warm meal. The dining room is much more modern than I expected, with it's cherry wood floors and stainless steel fixtures. One wall has a giant black chalk board full of notes and messages.

Kenzi may be small, but she's kind of hard to miss. We find her fist bumping the cook, and pontificating over the finer details of mac and cheese.

Evony interrupts the animated conversation, making it clear that she doesn't have time in her busy schedule for rambling college students. "I see you've already gotten acquainted with our resident chef, Hale, one of the hardest working employees here at Palmer. He runs a tight kitchen, and never complains."

Just from his easy smile, I can already tell Hale is a charmer. "Nice to meet you, Bo. Your friend Kenzi is quite passionate about food; it's been a real pleasure talking to her." He winks, and I can tell Kenzi enjoys the attention but nonchalantly brushes him off.

"Hale, do you have time to show them around so they know where-" Evony stops mid sentence, her gaze directed across the room. "I'm sorry, please excuse me a minute."

Evony glides across the room with purpose, and my eyes lock on her intended target. It's the helicopter pilot. She's even more beautiful close up. Wow. She's busy talking with a group of people when Evony blindsides her, pulling her away by the arm, and over to a quiet corner. Evony caresses the blonde's forearm as they talk. That certainly gets my attention. The nosey part of me wants to know what they are talking about so intently.

Kenzi nudges me, "Hey Bo, are you coming or what?!"

"Hmm? What...where?"

"Let's go. Hale is going to show us around, and more importantly - feed us!"

"Hey, Hale, who is Evony talking to?"

"Oh, that's Lauren."

_Lauren. _I let the name ruminate over my tongue for a moment. Just as I open my mouth to ask more about her, Hale and Kenzi are already walking away. After one more lingering look, I reluctantly follow along and save my questions for another time.


	3. Chapter 3

Kenzi is practically sprinting ahead of me, her eyes focused intently on the trays of lasagna. I'm pretty sure I can see her drooling, and I wouldn't be surprised if I am, too. Hale definitely knows how to cook, and clearly the Station doesn't skimp on meals. The dining room is starting to fill up now, but we find ourselves a place to sit together.

I savor each bite of the spicy marinara sauce, ignoring the orgasmic sounds that Kenzi is making over her own plate. It doesn't take long for me to get full, and I mentally start unpacking my bags for a distraction.

"Kenzi? I'm going to go to my room to set up my stuff," I say cautiously, after pushing away my plate.

"Oooooooooh, sooooo gooood," she moans, stuffing another heaping forkful of cheesy pasta into her mouth and vigorously swabbing her plate with a hunk of bread. "Whatcha say, Bo? Sure. Catch ya later."

I quickly find my way back to B13. These four walls are my home now, and I feel the need to put my own stamp on it somehow. Unpacking my bags, I ceremoniously spread everything out on the bed. This is it, the whole of my belongings. It doesn't take very long to stow my clothes in the tiny closet and stack my books on the desk. I make up the bed with the fresh sheets that have been left for me, and then fully stretch myself out on top to test out the mattress. I must have drifted off a little bit because the next thing I know, Kenzi is singing in my ear.

"Let's get physical, physical...we gotta get physicals," Kenzi belts in her best Olivia Newton-John voice. She bounces on the foot of my bed and beams. "Shake ya booty, shake a leg, let's go!"

I stare at her groggily. "What the what?"

"Weren't you paying attention? Me, 7:00 pm. You, 7:30. Schedule, Bo! You don't want Evony pulling your ass out of bed on your first day here do you? Besides, we probably can't touch anything cool or see the animals until they make sure we're not carrying, like, malaria or scabies."

"Scabies?"

Kenzi rolls her eyes. "Missing the point, girl. We have a date with the doctor. Physicals."

"Oh, right. Physicals." I stretch and wonder where my hairbrush is. I stand up and wander around my room sort of aimlessly. It's a strange feeling waking up in unfamiliar surroundings. I don't have time to even brush my teeth before Kenzi pulls me out of the room and down the hallway.

"Do you know where are we going?" I ask hesitantly, pulling my hair up in a makeshift ponytail.

Kenzi throws her hands in the air and mutters something that sounds like a prayer, or possibly a curse. "The clinic, duh. This way." She navigates the hallways easily and gets us there with time to spare. I collapse on the chairs outside while Kenzi raps smartly on the door marked 'Dr. Lewis.'

"Beauty before age, Bo-bo," she whispers and sashays inside without waiting for an invite.

I'm just now realizing that Hale was really generous with the garlic in the lasagna. I have 30 minutes before my own physical and consider running back to my room to freshen up when Evony approaches with an unusually short old man with a penchant for sweater vests. He nods at me, his eyes kind, then enters the clinic office.

Evony smiles pleasantly. "How are you adjusting, Ms. Dennis?"

"Call me Bo, please," I plead. "Everything is great. I can't wait to start on my research. If everything checks out with my checkup, can I get some lab space tomorrow?"

Evony sits down next to me and over the next twenty minutes, she explains details of several other ongoing research projects at Palmer. It's a lot to take in at once, and I feel slightly intimidated. I'm hoping she doesn't test my knowledge of ice formation on the spot because my brain still isn't quite awake yet. I'm contemplating some kind of an escape plan when Kenzi bursts out of the office.

"I'm an excellent physical specimen," she brags and takes a quick bow. "You're up, buttercup."

I quietly enter the small but neatly organized clinic room. There is one examination table, and a lot of cabinets and drawers carefully labeled with their contents. The kind-looking man I saw before with Evony is attentively looking through some paperwork. I extend my hand to greet him.

"You must be Dr. Lewis...I'm new here...Bo…"

"...Dennis," He finishes my sentence, and shakes my hand firmly. "I'm Patrick, Patrick McCorrigan, but the staff call me Trick. I'm the guy in charge of this whole station, and I hope you don't mind but I've already been poking around in your paperwork. You came highly recommended by your colleagues, Ms. Dennis, so I'm assuming you're going to give me less trouble than the last new staff member-Kenzi." He smiles warmly and winks at me. His eyes are soft, but they also have that certain gleam of someone who holds a lot of secrets. I'm suspecting that he knows everything that goes on in this facility.

"Dr. Lewis, your next patient is here," he calls out abruptly, startling me.

Dr. Lewis enters the room from an adjoining office, and I stumble backwards ungracefully, smacking my head on the nearest cabinet. It's the impossibly gorgeous helicopter pilot. And doctor? Lauren. She's changed out of her flight gear and into a well-pressed white lab coat. Her legs go on for miles, and I swear, she practically glides when she walks. I rub the top of my head, and realize that i'm probably staring at her with my mouth hanging wide open. I can feel myself blushing, and I'm not sure if it's because I'm embarrassed at my sudden clumsiness or because this woman seems to make my blood pressure rise instantly.

She silently looks me up and down and smiles as I struggle to my feet. My awkwardness must amuse her, but God, that smile: it's totally worth the embarrassment. She smoothly extracts my chart from Trick's grasp and starts looking through the papers. I'm suddenly feeling exposed by the detailed history I have written out on each page.

"I'll take it from here, Mr. McCorrigan," Dr. Lewis informs her boss in a pleasant but definitely firm tone.

Trick chuckles and waves in my direction as he leaves the room. "I'll leave you in very capable hands, Bo. Dr. Lewis will take good care of you," he says over his shoulder.

The clinic door closes. I'm alone in a very small room with the most stunning woman I've ever seen. It's enough to make me stumble against the exam table. I lean casually against it, trying to look in complete control.

The doctor frowns. "Are you experiencing some extended symptoms of seasickness from your trip, Ms. Dennis? Dizziness? Lightheadedness? Do you go by Isabeau?" She's looking directly into my eyes as she speaks, and I swallow hard. I have to close my eyes briefly to try and compose myself, start over.

"I prefer to be called just Bo, and I don't think I have seasickness. I'm just a bit clumsy. Okay, maybe a lot clumsy." I stand up a little straighter and clear my throat.

She reaches out her hand to shake mine. "I'm Lauren. It's really nice to meet you, Bo. I know Evony has been excited about your arrival for weeks now. Your background and experience are going to bring a lot to the team."

She pats her hand on the exam table. "If you could sit down, I need to perform a routine physical exam. No worries-it's quick and painless. I'll have you on your way in a few minutes. I'm sure you're eager to get settled in, and get some decent rest. The journey here can be exhausting, I know."

I climb up on the table slowly, to avoid making any sudden movements that might cause me to further embarrass myself in front of the doctor. The table has a white paper protective lining that crinkles loudly underneath me. I'm trying to think of something to say to break the awkward silence when I notice the crisp blue shirt she's wearing underneath her lab coat. The top few buttons are undone, and that's what truly has my attention. I can't tell what color her bra is, and I wonder if just one more button would be enough to...God, it's a good thing she can't hear my inner monologue.

Almost as if reading my thoughts, Lauren asks me to unbutton my shirt, in that clinical way only a doctor could get away with. Her stethoscope is cold on my chest, but feels good since my temperature must have shot up ten degrees the moment she walked in the room, and again every time she looks at me. I laugh at myself a little, and how completely ridiculous I'm feeling around her. I'm a grown woman. An educated, and dare I say, level-headed woman. I better get it together, or she'll be prescribing me anti-anxiety medications any minute now. Maybe if I hold my breath for a second...

"Take a deep breath for me," she asks, as if on cue, moving her stethoscope around. "Again, please."

She's shining a small flashlight into one of my eyes now. Then the other. Feeling up and down my neck. In my past experience, most doctors have cold hands, but hers are warm and sure. She leans me back gently on the table and begins to feel around my abdomen. Pressing and listening with her stethoscope. Her touch has my skin on fire. I'm staring up at the ceiling, mentally counting how many tiles there are, anything to help distract me from the reaction my body is involuntarily having. I'm definitely holding my breath now. Can she sense my nervousness?

"This scar on your right side. It's rather large, and doesn't look clean like a surgery scar…"

Her comment snaps me out of my tile-counting. I didn't mention the scar in my self-report.

_Am I in trouble? Surely I don't have to elaborate. She didn't phrase it as a question, after all. Maybe I don't have to say anything. _

"I'm guessing it's about a year old. Is there any tenderness?" she continues, running her finger lightly over the scar, a little longer it seems than doctorly necessary.

_Direct question. Damn._

"No." is my direct answer.

She still has a questioning look in her eyes as she helps pull me back up into a sitting position, but thankfully doesn't press me any further about it.

"By all intents and purposes, you appear to be in good health. Blood pressure is good. Heart rate normal. I don't see anything that concerns me, but I'll take a more detailed look at your medical files when they arrive, likely sometime next week. Is there anything you'd like to ask me about?"

I can think of a thousand things I want to ask her about, but none of them have to do with my health, so I opt for the easy answer and just shake my head no.

"Oh, before you go...are you using any birth control? I want to make sure I keep it in stock for you."

I snort. "That won't be necessary."

She looks up from the chart she's been writing in. "The winters are long and brutal here. There's downtime, and a certain closeness that develops amongst the staff. You're a young, very attractive woman, it's a good idea to stay prepared for sexual activity. Many of our residents use the pill, so there's no judgment, if that's what concerns you."

I hear words coming out of her mouth, but all I really hear is that she thinks I'm very attractive.

"I understand, but I...really don't need anything like...that," I stumble over my words uncertainly. Should I just come out and tell the hot doctor my form of birth control is being a lesbian?

Lauren eyes me skeptically. "I don't mean to be pushy, but the truth is, honestly, we're not really equipped for a pregnancy here. Taking precautions is what's best for you but also for the station."

I close my eyes. I've had this conversation with doctors my whole life, so what's one more, right? I take a deep breath and blurt out, "Dr. Lewis, you have to sleep with men to become pregnant..."

The doctor's right eyebrow shoots up and it looks like she's trying not to smile. "Well, yes, Ms. Dennis, that would be the fundamental principle of human procreation."

I adjust myself on the table and wince at the loud crinkle of the paper beneath me. My lack of eloquence continues. "I don't sleep with men. I don't plan to start now that I'm in the frozen middle of nowhere. I am 100% into women. I love women. Like, I reeeeallly love women."

Lauren clears her throat, the amusement in her eyes only growing more pronounced. "Really."

"Oh, not like...you know...not a bunch of women. I mean, just, you know, one at a time. And I'm here to do my research. With penguins, not women," I hear myself babbling.

She nods. "Research."

"I really love penguins," I say desperately. "Oh, God, but not in the same way I love women. I should really just stop talking now." I find myself wanting to crawl under the exam table.

"Okay. So, no on the birth control," Dr. Lewis replies pleasantly, making a notation in my chart.

"Please tell me you did not write 'penguin molester' in my medicals records," I beg.

"Anything written in your medical file will be strictly confidential. Nobody will ever find out about your affinity for flightless birds," she teases dryly.

We exchange smiles, and stare at each other for a brief moment. Lauren pulls her gaze away first.

"So I guess I'll see you around?" I ask, realizing how utterly lame that sounds.

"Indeed you will."

I make my way to the door, buttoning up my shirt, with most of my dignity still intact. I may have even managed to be a little bit charming. That's probably a stretch, but that's what I'm telling myself anyway.

"Oh, and Bo?"

"Yes, Dr. Lewis?" I respond, trying not to melt at the way my name sounds coming out of her mouth.

"Welcome to Palmer Station." She smiles again.


	4. Chapter 4

My first night on base is a weird mixture of sweat and chills. I'm physically exhausted, but my mind is buzzing with the anticipation of starting on my work. I have so many ideas and things I want to accomplish during my tenure here. After a few restless hours of tossing and trying to quiet my mind, I finally give in to sleep snuggled tightly underneath a down comforter, my right leg sticking out so I don't get too overheated.

What feels like only moments later, I'm awakened by a sound. I'm not quite sure how long the noise has been going on because I managed to incorporate it into my dream. It's the same recurring dream I've had for the last year. I'm lying flat on the pavement with strangers hovering over me, looking concerned. I'm trying to speak to them but no sound will come out of my throat. I'm yelling out but no one hears me. Sirens in the distance are getting closer, and then everything fades to black.

My eyes pop open in a panic, frantically looking around. Not that I can see anything because it's pitch black in my room. The sound is muffled. I can't figure out where it's coming from.

The noise continues.

Now I'm sitting straight up in my bed and trying a little harder to focus. Realizing that the sound may be coming from underneath my bed, I stumble around, struggling to find the lightswitch. I'm a little disoriented in this dark, unfamiliar space and bump hard into the desk, causing a lamp and stack of books crash loudly onto the floor.

"Ow! Damn it!"

Feeling my way along the wall in the dark, I finally find the lightswitch. The incessant beeping is now royally pissing me off. Getting down on all fours, I peek under the bed and find the cause of my annoyance. It's an alarm clock that the last person who lived here must have left behind. The alarm was set for 5:15 a.m. Ugh! Removing the batteries from the clock, I fling them over my shoulder before collapsing back onto my bed.

There's a soft knock at my door.

"Uggggghhh, go away!" I grumble under my breath. My normal good-natured self doesn't exist at this early hour. It's probably Kenzi. Maybe if I ignore her, she'll go away.

Another knock, a little more insistent this time.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming, just a second." I answer the door, bleary eyed and a tousled mess. "For the last time, Kenzi, I don't have any Lucky Charms hidden in my room!"

It's not Kenzi.

It's the doctor, looking dreamy as usual. She even glows at 5 a.m. How can she be real? She's wearing a soft emerald green knit sweater, blue jeans, and holding two cups of coffee. That's nice. I'm staring at her brown leather boots. I really like them. _Oh! Good God, it's Lauren! Standing at my door! _It takes a moment for my sleep-addled brain to truly register the situation.

"Is everything okay?" she asks, looking as surprised to see me as I am to see her.

"Well, as long as you're not here to scavenge my secret stash of Lucky Charms-yeah, everything is okay. All good. Totally fine." I explain, casually leaning my shoulder against the doorframe.

I shiver as her eyes slowly drift down my body. That's when I realize I'm wearing only an old Metallica concert tee, which is barely long enough to cover up anything.

"Okay, good," She redirects her gaze back to my eyes. "I was just walking down the hall and heard some unusually loud noises coming from this room." She hands me a cup of coffee. "I was bringing this to a friend, but here, you look like you could really use it."

I'm shivering all over now, missing the warmth of my bed.

"Oh, thanks," I smile at her sleepily and accept the warm mug. "I could really get used to this kind of good morning house call, doctor."

I can tell she's concentrating hard not to let her eyes drift down again. Surely, she's not looking at me the way I look at her. Right? Maybe she just really likes Metallica? She smiles and looks down at the floor. I'm not sure, I think she might be blushing.

"Well, I better get going," she says after a long pause and turns to leave.

I just can't help myself-I watch her walk all the way down the hall, enchanted by the sway of those hips. And the fit of those jeans. I'm a little flustered when she turns back around and catches me staring. She waves at me sweetly and disappears down the stairs.

I think I'm really going to like my new job.

After the doctor's cup of liquid energy and a steamy shower, I feel almost human again. Dressed in a black v-neck sweater, jeans and black leather boots, I make my way down to the dining room. I'm poking around in some oatmeal and half a grapefruit for breakfast when Kenzi shuffles in, bundled up in zebra-striped pajama pants, bunny slippers and a black ski cap. She walks right past me and heads directly for the coffee pot.

After filling up, she slumps into a chair beside me. "Coffee. Get in me," she mutters. She props her head up with one arm, staring intensely into her mug and willing it to jump straight into her veins.

I know just how she feels.

An announcement is made over the intercom for all staff to gather in The Commons for a short meeting. Kenzi guzzles her coffee down and refills her mug before we make our way over. At the pace she's moving this morning, we'll be lucky to make it there by lunch. She doesn't seem to be bothered at all that's she's still in her pajamas.

There's a long corridor connecting the two buildings so thankfully we don't have to go outside to get from one place to the other. There are metal lockers lined up all the way down one side of the hallway. On the other side, all along the wall, workers and tourists have signed their names with black sharpie pens, a historical marker of everyone who's ever been brave enough to venture here. There's also a portion of the wall dedicated to photos of all the staff that has worked at Palmer over the years. All the pictures look alike to me, people standing in a row, bundled up in bulky orange arctic coats and hats. You really wouldn't be able to tell any of the teams apart if it weren't for the plaques underneath.

Staff meetings are held in the library and media room in The Commons. There are walls lined with books and movies, and plenty of sofas and chairs for everyone to sit in. At the front of the room there's a large movie screen. A projector is currently shining the Palmer Station logo on it. For the first time I get a look at all 37 of my colleagues congregated in one place. It's an interesting mixture of people. You can practically smell the science in the air.

"It's like a Bill Nye convention in here." Kenzi whispers loud enough that I'm sure everyone can hear, even though we're standing in the back of the room.

Trick starts the meeting off with updates on the week's weather forecast, current NSF grant opportunities, and upcoming expedition information, complete with an impressive media presentation.

"I know I signed a lot of paperwork, but holy crap, is this some sort of a spy network?!" Kenzi asks excitedly.

"NSF, Kenzi...not NSA. We're geeks, not spies," I reply.

"Correction: you're geeks. I'm a journalist."

"You're right Kenz, those bunny slippers really set you apart."

I'm happily soaking in every detail of Trick's presentation when the screen changes to a picture of Kenzi and me. He stops suddenly and points to us, and all eyes in the room turn around to look our direction.

"I want everyone to please give a warm welcome, Dr. Bo Dennis and Kenzi-uh, just Kenzi. We're excited to have them both join the team."

Everyone in the room claps and whistles.

"Bo comes to us from California State University with a PhD in Marine Biology and Environmental Science, and Kenzi is a photojournalism student from Columbia University. She will be documenting all activities here at Palmer." Trick pauses for a moment. "Well maybe not ALL activities, but all fields of research will be involved in the project, so please be polite and cooperative when you see her coming around with her camera."

The meeting is adjourned and many of the team members come over to shake our hands and introduce themselves. I notice Dr. Lewis isn't here, and my mind wanders back to our morning conversation. I wonder where she was headed so early. I wonder if anyone here is the "friend" who was supposed to get that coffee.

"Wanna take bets on how many of these guys have MacGyver tattoos?" Kenzi nudges me back to the present with her sharp elbow.

I roll my eyes extra dramatically, just as Evony walks up. Terrible timing seems to be my trademark. I hope she doesn't think I was rolling my eyes at her. As usual, she doesn't start off with any pleasantries but gets right to her point. "Are you ready to see your lab?"

I'm so excited, I almost want to grab Evony and squeeze her. Almost. "Absolutely! I could hardly sleep last night because I'm so ready to get started."

"Well, then, follow me."

Evony leads me to the wall of lockers first, pointing out which one is assigned to me. It's filled full of gear: arctic boots, hats, gloves and one of those heavy hooded orange parkas made especially for sub zero temperatures. There's already a name patch sewn on mine that says 'Dennis.'

Next we head to the Biolab and down a hallway of offices and laboratories.

"After much consideration and carefully reviewing the lists you have sent over the last few months, we decided to create two separate work spaces for you," Evony explains. "I hope this will accommodate all your needs, but of course, let me know if there is anything you feel might better suit your research. We still have plenty of NSF funds leftover, but this will hopefully get you started on the right track."

We stop at the end of the hallway. Evony unlocks the door, and we enter into a huge room about the size of a high school gymnasium. There are large metal work tables covered in shiny new lab equipment lining the walls. Rows of shelves stacked with supplies, much of it still in boxes and unopened. There are six empty aquarium tanks in the center of the room, just waiting to be filled with sea life. Everything is sparkling and new, and so perfect it's making me feel weak in the knees.

"There's a state of the art ventilation system in here, and the tanks have been configured so you can precisely regulate salinity, and temperature. Oh, and there's also a clever filtration system that will pump directly back out to the bay. Over here, is the refrigerated room where you can run your experiments in controlled climates."

I just stand there with wide eyes, completely speechless.

"Is everything okay? Do you like the Aquarium?" Evony inquires, with a hint of concern at my lack of reaction.

"I-I don't even know what to say. This is just amazing. More than I could have imagined. It's perfect."

"There's more."

"Really? More?"

She leads me through some double doors on the far side of the Aquarium. It's a smaller room set up with an astounding number of computers, monitors and printers.

"This is your computer lab. You should have everything you've asked for. I really had to pull some strings to get your lab connected directly to satellite. I think you made a strong case for it in your correspondence, which I was able to use in my requests."

"I can't believe it. Are you serious?"

"Yes, very serious. Nobody has ever tracked penguin colonies in that way before. The NSF was all over the idea. I'm going go, and to leave you to it now, so you can get started. Once you get settled in, maybe in a week or so, I will ask for volunteers to help assist you with your work when they have extra time. Here at Palmer, we're all committed to helping each other and working together. In other words, there are no Lone Rangers here."

She turns to leave.

"Wait...Evony?"

"Yes?"

I don't really know what to say so I just throw my arms around her in an awkward hug. "Thank you. For everything." She's clearly flustered by the gesture, and I wonder if I've already managed to overstep boundaries on only my second day here.

Evony clears her throat, and quickly pulls away. "You're welcome. Just don't get any ideas about me being soft. Do your job, work hard, and you and I will get along just fine."

The next week goes by in an absolute blur. I've been keeping myself so busy in the lab, going through all the boxes and testing the equipment, that I barely stop to eat or sleep. I'm itching to get actual food samples from each colony into these aquarium tanks. Things are going well and I'm settling in to my new surroundings, but now I'm starting to run on fumes. After I run just one last data report, I want to stop by Evony's office to give her an itemized list of a few things I'm still going to need. Knowing it takes quite a while to get supplies to this remote facility, I want to do it tonight before I go to bed.

Standing in front of Evony's office door, I pause a moment before knocking. I'm honestly hoping she's not there because I'm tired and really not in the mood to be sociable right now. Maybe I'll just slip the list under the door instead.

Just then, Lauren opens the door, looking exhausted and frustrated. She looks at me, startled, and then grimaces a little. "Evony's all yours. I was just leaving." She brushes by me in a hurry, before I get a chance to respond.

Sheepishly I enter the office, feeling like I unintentionally walked into something.

Evony, her eyes closed and her fingers massaging her temples, wearily says, "I think you made your point, Lauren. It's over. I get it. I'm not into begging."

I stand there, wondering if I should sneak back out and knock. "Uh, Evony? I'm so sorry. It's Bo? Bo Dennis?"

Evony's eyes snap open. A fleeting look of shock turns into her usual superior gaze. "Bo. Yes. Right. I'm sorry I haven't been by to check on you lately. Is everything alright?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing. I'm sorry if I interrupted something important."

"Oh, that?" Evony waves her hands dismissively. "I keep asking Dr. Lewis to reconsider a very attractive and available and really, let's face it, perfect...um, very technical...medical study that probably wouldn't interest you, Ms. Dennis. The doctor turned me down. This time, at least. I can be very persuasive, and she may feel differently tomorrow...about the medical study. What can I help you with?" She looks at me expectantly.

I want some help understanding just exactly what's going on between Evony and Lauren, because I'm not buying the whole lame "medical study" explanation.

Instead, I smile brightly. "I wanted to give you this list of items I'm going to need eventually. It's not a big list, but I wanted to give you a heads up. Also, I need to get sufficient water, guano, and krill samples from each of the different colony sites, and near the port, while the weather's still relatively calm. Will I need to get snowmobile training from Dyson or….?"

Evony thinks for approximately half a second. "It makes more sense to have Dr. Lewis take you. She already flies the Polar Betty each morning to conduct her own research. I'll make sure she knows to take you with her. How does Thursday morning sound for your first foray?"

"Perfect." I hear the response come out of my mouth, but all I can think about is how perfect Lauren looks in her flight gear. My temperature rises and my stomach lurches at the thought of spending hours alone in a helicopter, with the intriguing and beautiful Dr. Lewis. I turn around to leave, excited for Thursday to get here. I'm going to have sweet dreams tonight.

"Oh, and Bo? Take Kenzi with you…"


	5. Chapter 5

_Note from Author: Thank you all for your patience, I know the chapters have been slow coming. Life is kicking my ass at the moment, but thanks for following and reviewing. I will try not to disappoint. _

* * *

By Wednesday night, I have nearly everything prepped and packed for my expedition. Kenzi was super excited when I told her about the plans-that is, until she realized that it's basically a glorified mission to gather penguin poop. Her enthusiasm waned a little then, and she stopped asking me so many questions. It's funny how she suddenly has something urgent she needs to attend to whenever I bring up the trip.

I'm in the lab now, going over my checklist one last time; I don't want to miss anything important.

_plankton chamber_

_flow meter_

_sediment trap_

_sample containers_

_siphons_

_rubber tubing_

_nylon cords_

_line weights_

"Gloves," I mutter to myself. "I'm missing gloves like some newbie undergrad who doesn't know about sample contamination. Get it together, Dennis!"

Also missing, I can't help but think, is Lauren. I haven't seen her since the day she brushed by me at Evony's office, looking upset, but she's been very present in my thoughts.

The phone rings just as I'm about to lock up for the night.

"Dr. Dennis speaking," I answer, trying to sound official. Maybe, once everyone gets to know me, I'll go with Bo next time, since that's more my style.

"Bo, it's Lauren. I'm glad I caught you. I know it's getting late."

My stomach is immediately in knots, partly from the effect hearing her voice has on me, and partly because I'm worried that she's going to cancel the trip. I've been really looking forward to this...expedition.

"Hi, I was just thinking about-" I catch myself before I say something I probably shouldn't "-the trip. I think I'm all set. Just finished checking my list one last time. Better than Santa Claus."

She doesn't laugh, which disappoints me. Then it gets even worse when the doctor says, "Good, but I'm calling to let you know that there's been a last minute change of plans."

Damn. I knew it was too good to be true. Still, I play it cool. "Oh? Is everything okay?"

"Can you be ready to leave in an hour?"

"That soon? What's up?" My curiosity is piqued.

"There's a colleague at McConnell Station who's become ill. I got the call an hour ago asking if there's anything I can do to help."

"Are you sure you don't want to cancel my part? Maybe there would be a better time, if there's a medical emergency."

"No, I don't want to cancel. I'll treat the patient, and then we can make stops on the way back to get your samples."

"That'll work. I'll call Kenzi and let her know, although getting her ready in an hour may be pushing it."

"Actually, we aren't going to be able to bring Kenzi this time. I'm sorry. She'll probably be disappointed. I'll call her myself and let her know."

"Kenzi may not be as disappointed as you think. She practically ran screaming when I told her I'd need her help gathering penguin feces."

She laughs softly. "The McConnell patient is probably going to be just fine, but just in case it's something more serious, I need the space in the helicopter. I may need to bring them back here for treatment. Now, it _is_ 300 miles each way. I know it's not quite the trip you had in mind, Bo, but I'd really appreciate the company."

I'm pretty sure my face is suddenly beaming. "Okay, then, see you in an hour."

"See you." She hangs up, and I'm left standing in my lab, trying to make myself breathe normally again.

Lauren arrives at the lab promptly an hour later. She's so timely, in fact, that I'm almost certain now that she has a military background. It's something I've been wanting to ask her about. She's dressed in her navy blue flight suit that fits her frame just perfectly and wearing polished black combat boots.

She catches me looking. Again. By now she must think I'm a total pervert.

"It's actually a safety requirement to wear one of these, flame retardant material and all that." She hands me a neatly folded suit of my own. "It's really comfortable though. This one should fit you."

I change into the suit quickly and return to find her on the phone, talking to Evony. She sort of stumbles over her words when she gets a look at me. It's subtle, but I notice. She nods and gives me a thumbs up, approving of the suit, trying to make me feel less awkward, I think. I lace up my boots while she finishes her conversation.

"Yes, we should be able to return by tomorrow night. Yes, I'll be sure to keep you posted. Of course, I'll be careful. Yes, Evony, I promise. Okay, goodnight." She hangs up the phone and sighs quietly before she spins around to face me.

"Okay, we all set, Dennis?"

"Lead the way, Top Gun." Top Gun? Did that really just come out of my mouth? Thankfully she seems amused instead of repulsed.

"You can be my wingman any time, Maverick," Lauren calls over her shoulder with a grin.

We grab my supplies and walk over to the The Commons building, making our way up to the rooftop helipad. I'm starting to get nervous. I've never been in a helicopter before, but if it's anything like what you find at Disneyland, I'm in big trouble. I've been known to get sick on kiddie rides. It's not something I'm proud of.

We stow the supplies in the cargo hold of the helicopter, tethering everything down tight with elastic cords so nothing shifts in flight. Lauren then opens the front passenger door for me and hands me a vest to wear.

"Put this on, then buckle in, both shoulder and the lap harnesses. Adjust the buckle here and here, so it fits snug against your pelvis but not too tight. Once you're done, put this helmet on. You can adjust the volume of the headset here."

Lauren disappears, leaving me to follow her instructions on my own. I'm successfully buckled in when she returns and climbs into the cockpit, strapping herself in as well. She starts talking out loud, pressing buttons, moving levers and switches while she goes over a checklist of procedures for take-off.

"Parking brake set. Battery one and two engaged. Blade tie-down removed. Main rotor is untied, all clear. Fuel level confirmed. Seatbelts fastened. Avionic switches off, strobe on. Key in ignition. Controls in neutral. Area all clear. "

She turns the ignition and messes around with the throttle.

"17 rpms. Oil pressure good - oil temp 40, in the green. Cylinder head temp good. Mags set. Radio and intercom on standby."

The rotor blades start to spin overhead slowly at first, vibrating the whole cabin. The chopper idles and warms up for a few minutes until the rotors are spinning fully. It's surprisingly loud. I grip my vest until my knuckles turn white.

"Rpm gauge at 35, ready for take off." She looks over at me, studies my petrified face, and drawls, "I feel the need…the need for…?"

"Barf bag?" I suggest weakly.

Lauren's teasing immediately turns to concern. She says into her headset, "This is your first time, huh? I promise, I'm really not a daredevil speed demon."

I nervously smile back, and nod, since I'm afraid something other than words will come out if I open my mouth.

Lights are now on and flashing everywhere inside the cockpit. I have no idea what any of them do. I realize that I'm essentially putting my life in her hands. Lauren reaches over and pats my knee, a gesture meant to comfort me, but I'm now a total bundle of nerves.

"Hey, listen-it's going to be fine, Bo. You'll see. It's a helicopter, not a _Top Gun_ fighter jet. This baby flies a nice, easy 120 knots, so we'll be there in about two and a half hours."

I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and nod again.

Lift off is smooth, and soon we are gliding over glaciers and snow that stretches out for thousands of miles in every direction. By the clock, it's now the middle of the night, but the sun is still shining on a bitterly cold day. I'm not sure my body will ever quite get used to it. I have calmed down now, my anxiety replaced with excitement over the beautiful scenery all around me. It's breathtaking, simultaneously serene and overwhelming.

There's a comfortable silence that has settled between us. Sensing my high anxiety level, Lauren hasn't spoken a word since take off. I think she's concentrating on making the flight as uneventful as possible for me. I'm impressed by her skills and working up the nerve ask her where she learned to fly. I don't want to pry into her personal life, but there is so little I know about her, and she's sort of a captive audience. I won't be able to help myself.

Lauren breaks the silence first. "So, Metallica, huh?"

It takes me a second to realize what she's talking about. "Oh! Oh, God, I'm so sorry about that, Lauren. I was in a sleep fog when you knocked and didn't realize until it was too late. I hope that wasn't too awkward for you." _She's still thinking about that? _I smile to myself.

"Yeah, you really traumatized me. I'm still recovering to be honest," she jokes. My head is spinning. Does she just enjoying giving me a hard time, or is she flirting with me?

"I've been to my share of concerts," she continues. "I went through a pretty dark and broody phase a few years back."

I think this over. "Are we talking a serious Rob Zombie phase?"

Lauren snorts. "Marilyn Manson, maybe. Full-on vocal-shredding howls. I saw some pretty bad stuff in my time with AMEDD.

"AMEDD?"

"Yes, I served sixteen months as a flight medic in the Army Medical Corp."

Lauren gets quiet; her mind has drifted somewhere else, so I decide not to push for more information. I enjoy making the ever-so-serious doctor smile, so I make that my mission instead.

"So, like, way, waaaay past Nickelback pseudo-wannabe-dark territory?" I ask.

"Shockingly, way past," Lauren replies. She smiles a little.

"As dark as…a whole evening of Justin Bieber in 3D?"

"Oh, for the love of God, stop!" Lauren laughs.

_Even better than a smile. Mission accomplished,_ I think to myself.

Over the next hour we make more small talk, and the time passes by quickly. We arrive at McConnell around 4 AM, while most of the station is still asleep. We are greeted by the station manager, Mr. Ferguson, who seems slightly irritable to be awake so early in the morning, but pleasant enough. He breaks into a grin when Lauren pulls off her helmet and shakes out all her long, blonde hair.

"My favorite doctor!" he exclaims. "To what do I owe the distinct pleasure of your company?"

"I hear you have a patient," Lauren calls out. "Might be serious?"

Mr. Ferguson's smile vanishes. "Oh, that one. She's trouble. You'll love her."

Lauren rolls her eyes dramatically. "Well, let's get started."

"She's sleeping right now. Maybe it's best not to disturb the beast," he explains. "How 'bout some coffee first?"

"I'll take six, please!" I respond enthusiastically.

Mr. Ferguson leads us around the station. It's bigger than Palmer, but not as nice or as well kept. It's dark and kind of gloomy with drab gray walls and cold cement floors. We drink mugs of coffee so thick you can choke on it and head off to see the patient. I'm getting anxious to leave this place, and we just got here, or maybe it's just exhaustion catching up with me.

Ferguson stops and whispers before slowly opening the door, "It's best not to look her directly in the eyes." I think he's kidding, but it's difficult to tell for sure.

The room is dark and smells like sickness. The patient appears to be sleeping soundly. She's pretty enough, with blonde hair and striking facial features, though she seems pale. I've never done well around illness, so I stand back and watch as Lauren her does her doctorly stuff. She checks the patient's blood pressure and pulse.

"When is the last time she had anything to eat or drink?" she inquires.

"She had some water this morning. Nothing to eat since the day before yesterday. She refuses."

Lauren frowns at this and tries to poke a thermometer in the woman's mouth. The patient opens her sunken eyes groggily and snarls, almost growls. The doctor is taken aback a little.

"What's your name?"

"The Queen of fucking England. Who the fuck are you?" she says around the thermometer. She tries to sit up but has a coughing fit and lays back down.

"Ahh, you're right, Ferguson: she is charming. Ma'am, I'm Dr. Lewis from Palmer Station. I'm going to need to do a quick listen to your lungs?" Lauren glances at the thermometer and cautiously withdraws a stethoscope from her bag and dangles it like a bone in front of a wild dog.

The woman lets out a piercing scream, and I slap my hands over my ears.

"My lungs are great," the patient informs us drily. She shivers a little and pulls the blankets more firmly around her shoulders.

"Her name is Tamsin," Ferguson offers. "She's a new hire, security personnel. Been here for three weeks, and been a real pain in my ass from day one." While he talks, Lauren slips the stethoscope against the angry woman's chest.

"So the irritability is typical for her?" Lauren asks Ferguson.

"I'm right here," Tamsin grouses. "I can hear you assholes talking. I'm sick, not deaf. Maybe you should help Ferguson with that pain in his ass, doc, and leave me the hell alone. I'm fine. I just need to sleep this off."

Lauren, who has been listening to Tamsin's breathing through her whole tirade, looks grim, "Actually, you're running a fever. Judging from your lack of skin elasticity, you're dehydrated, and I can hear that there's some fluid building up in your lungs. This could become serious if we don't treat it."

"Thanks, but I didn't ask for your help."

I'm ready to walk out, since this bitch clearly doesn't want any assistance, but Lauren is much more patient than I am.

"Of course, I understand. You're tough, and you might be able to beat this on sheer will. However, even a little fever and cough can become life threatening down here in Antarctica. I'll make you a deal. If you'll allow me to get some fluids in you today, I'll leave you alone until tomorrow. I'd like to check on you again before I leave."

"Wait, whoa, I thought we were leaving tonight," I chime in from the back of the room.

"Fine. Whatever," Tamsin agrees.

"Bo, can you hand me my bag and wait outside?"

"But…"

"Outside, Bo. Please," she asserts firmly.

I hand over the bag and exit quietly, hoping I haven't upset her. I've had to deal with a lot of change in the last few days, so maybe I'm just overreacting with my sudden need to get out of here as fast as possible. I take a deep breath and decide to be more supportive of the mission here, even if it's not my own. I pace outside the door until Lauren finally comes out, looking concerned.

"I'm sorry, Lauren, I didn't mean..."

She interrupts me. "I get it, Bo. It's okay."

"I shouldn't have questioned you in front of a patient. I was a total brat. And I always admit when I'm wrong."

"I only wanted to limit your exposure."

"That's really nice of you Lauren, but I think I can handle myself. I've met much bigger bitches than that."

"Bo, stop. I didn't want you in there because I think that woman may be contagious."


	6. Chapter 6

"Contagious? Is it something dangerous?"

"I don't want to scare you, but yes, possibly. I can't be sure without tests which I'm not equipped to do here. But even the flu can quickly become dangerous in an environment like this, without proper care."

I frowned. "So she has the flu?"

Lauren shook her head. "Based on the crackling in her lungs, Tamsin appears to have pneumonia. Depending on what type it is it, it could be highly communicable, or not contagious at all."

"What do we do?"

"I gave her some IV fluids with a broad spectrum antibiotic. Right now, it's really a waiting game. I'll check on her in the morning to see if she's looking any better. If she hasn't improved in a couple of days, I'll want to bring her back to Palmer Station to run some tests."

"Days?"

"Yes, it will take a few days for antibiotics to work, if it's even a bacterial infection at all."

"Oh boy. I hope they have some better coffee somewhere."

"No, the coffee's just awful, but they have a great gameroom. Do you play pool?"

"I'm terrible at pool," I admit, hanging my head in shame.

"Perfect. Even better," she smiles, trying her best to make light of the situation. "Let's get you out of those clothes first."

"Say wha?" I feel like I might spontaneously combust. She's staring at me, trying to maintain a serious face, but I can see a devilish grin peeking through. My mind wanders off for a moment to games of naked pool. Now that's a game I wouldn't mind learning.

"Or you can leave your flight suit on if you'd rather. I told you they were comfy," Lauren observes.

"Oh, crap, I didn't bring a change of clothes."

"No worries. I have stuff stowed away in the chopper."

We go back outside to grab some things from the helicopter, and then Ferguson shows us to a room that we can stay in while we're here. It's a small, sparsely furnished 8' x 8' room which looks like it's used mainly for supply storage.

"There's a bed and a bathroom somewhere behind all these boxes. I can go get some of the guys to come help clear them out." Ferguson scowls at the stacks of crates.

"Bed?" I ask. "As in, singular? One bed?"

Lauren is about to answer when her phone rings. "Sorry, I should take this. It's okay, Ferguson. We'll manage. Thanks." She waves him off and answers her phone. "Hello, Evony…"

"Alright, well, call me if you need anything else," Ferguson says to me before he walks off.

"Wait!" I plead. "There isn't another room? A spare bed? A couch? A sleeping bag?"

Ferguson grins at me. "Afraid we're tight on space at this station. You must've noticed it's not quite up to Palmer standards. I'm sure the doc will forgive you for snoring."

"I kick too," I say desperately. "It's brutal. I really need my own sleeping space." What I really mean is that I simply lose control when I'm within three feet of Lauren. How can I possibly share a bed with her?

"Look, I'll try to rearrange some folks tomorrow, okay?" Ferguson offers kindly.

"Okay," I say faintly.

Lauren is at the end of the hall, taking her phone call in private, so I decide to start moving some boxes around. Surely I'm overreacting. I can curl up on the edge of the mattress and behave like a civilized person.

After a few minutes of rearranging the clutter, however, I uncover one extremely small double bed. I can't see how I'll fit myself without brushing up against Lauren all night long, a thought that sends my mind reeling.

"Handle it, Dennis," I mutter to myself. It's just for one night, right? No problem. Still, I'm breaking into a sweat. I really need to think about something else. _Getting out of these clothes-Lauren-Lauren helping me get me out of these clothes_. Shit. No. Completely unprofessional.

For a distraction I decide to check and see what kind of clothes Lauren has packed in the duffel bag. I hope she doesn't mind me going through it without her here. I find some sweatpants and tee shirts, a toothbrush, and socks. Then I'm stopped dead in my tracks. I pull out one sexy pair of black lace bikini underwear. I don't know why, but I kind of imagined Lauren in boxers under that flight suit. I'm staring at the panties, imagining in vivid detail what they might look like on her.

Just then, the doctor walks back in and catches me red handed, holding her panties.

Not my finest moment.

"Finding everything okay?" she asks, bemused.

"Uh, everything...yes." I nod and immediately drop the panties back in the duffel. The room suddenly feels hot. And small. Damn, this room is really tiny. It's like a closet. I'm pulling at the collar of my flight suit like it's a noose.

""Are you feeling okay, Bo? You look a little flushed."

"I think I just need some air."

I brush by her and briskly rush out the door. I don't even know where I'm going. I just know I feel a little out of control whenever I'm near her. Doing awkward things, saying awkward things. First I'm a penguin molester, now a panty snatcher? Dear God, she probably thinks I'm a total nutjob.

Nobody has ever had this kind of effect on me before.

I pace up and down some random hallways, not going anywhere in particular, and not really making eye contact with anyone I pass by.

I'm just overly tired, that's all. Not thinking clearly. No, I will march right back in there, smile brightly at Dr. Lewis, and act like everything is perfectly fucking normal. We are colleagues. Two smart, professional and rational women.

Whatever this schoolgirl crush is, it will surely pass.

It has to.

I feel confident that I have regained my composure and find my way back to the room. Lauren has changed into a light gray tee shirt and navy sweatpants. She's lying down and appears to be sleeping soundly already. I close the door quietly and tip toe around the bed, not wanting to wake her. After changing my own clothes, I wiggle carefully into bed, and slide under the covers as gingerly as possible. I turn off the nearby floor lamp and lie down. The room is so still and quiet, except for Lauren's soft breathing pattern. Listening to her breathe somehow comforts me, and I find myself drifting off to sleep right away.

That's when the dream starts, the same as it always does. Lying on the pavement. Strangers hovering. No one hears me yelling. Sirens get closer. I can't breathe, then a searing hot pain streaks through my side.

Everything fades to black.

I wake myself up, panicked and short of breath. I'm sitting straight up in the bed and trembling. It takes me a moment to realize that Lauren is sitting behind me, and has her arms wrapped around me.

"It's okay, Bo. I'm right here. You're safe," she says in a hushed tone, as she rubs her hands up and down my arms, letting me know she's there.

Allowing myself to relax a little, I lean back into her arms a bit. She doesn't seem to mind and squeezes me a little tighter. I close my eyes and sink back into her fully. I'm still trying to catch my breath and feeling disoriented. Her arms are warm and strong, so comforting that I'm not ready for the moment to end, even though I know it has to.

"Are you okay now?" Lauren asks, her voice full of concern.

Just a second longer…

"Bo?"

I finally answer her. "Yes, I think so? I was just having a nightmare. I'm fine, though. Thanks for being so...sweet about it."

"It's okay. No need to apologize." She loosens her embrace and moves back to her side of the bed. I miss the warmth of her touch immediately. "Do you think you can go back to sleep now?"

"Yes, I think so," I repeat. I lay back down, wide awake now and just wanting to be closer to her again.

I have a feeling that these next few hours may just be the longest of my life.

Instead, I fall asleep again quickly, with no more nightmares, and no dreams either. I wake up a few hours later feeling refreshed, and find that Lauren has shifted during sleep and rolled over, with one of her legs now draped over mine. Her head is resting against my shoulder, and she is sleeping peacefully.

She feels like heaven up against me like this, and I don't want to move.

Not ever.

I pretend to be sleeping for the longest time, just to continue basking in the feel of her next to me. I know I shouldn't let myself enjoy this too much, since she's going to wake up any minute now and we'll both just move on as if nothing happened. As if my heart weren't racing the Grand Prix, and my whole body weren't feeling a sense of euphoria.

I can hear Kenzi in my head saying, "Oh, euphoria...is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

Okay, I admit it. I'm super turned on right now, and I should really pull myself out from underneath her. So, I'm just going to lay here a little bit longer and think about doing just that.

The doctor suddenly stirs, stretches, and gives me a sleepy-eyed smile.

My heart instantly melts.

I'm getting ready to say something when there's a knock at the door, thankfully relieving us of any awkward moment.

Lauren gets up, quickly pulling her hair back into a messy ponytail. She cracks the door open and peeks only her head out. All I hear are muffled voices. I'm unable to make out any of the words, but it sounds like a pretty serious conversation.

"Yes, of course, I'll be right there." She shuts the door and turns to face me.

"Is everything okay?"

"Tamsin is coughing up blood now."

"Oh, that's not good."

"No. It gets worse…"

"Worse?"

"There's a blizzard in the forecast. We're expecting several days of heavy snow, so it won't be safe to fly anytime soon. Looks like we're going to be stuck here for awhile."

"With no coffee, and only this Army tee shirt..."

"Looks that way."

"Doctor, you really know how to show a girl a good time."

"I'm going to have to leave you for a little while, and go check on Tamsin." She starts putting on her boots.

"I promise to behave while you're gone."

"Behave? Where's the fun in that?" She tightens the laces.

"You're probably right. Maybe I'll go find some sort of trouble to get into. I'm pretty good at that, it seems."

"Send up a flare, if you need me, or if you find any decent coffee," Lauren says, grabbing her medical bag as she walks out the door.

I've lost track and am not really sure what time of day it is. A clock in the hallway says 8:00. I think it's PM. I decide to take a walk around the station to see if I can scrounge up a toothbrush and some extra clothes.

I quickly get acquainted with some of the staff. Everyone here goes by last names. I meet Briggs, who generously offers me half of his sandwich. Thomas and Whitaker are eager to share some of their homemade moonshine with me. Turco has an extra toothbrush, and Knox is kind enough to let me borrow some of her turtlenecks, sweaters and jeans. My first impression of the station being cold and depressing was wrong. The people here already feel like old friends.

By 10:00 PM, we're all hanging out in the game room together. There's an impromptu ping pong competition going on, and I decide it's safest to just to hang back and watch. These people apparently take their drunken ping pong deathmatch seriously. There's going to be a casualty, and I figure it's better that it's not me.

By 10:45 PM I'm getting a little concerned about Lauren, and wondering if I should go check on her. She walks into the game room a few minutes later, looking pale and exhausted, her hair still up in a ponytail.

"Drink?" she asks bluntly, and everyone in the room immediately points to Thomas and Whitaker.

She downs several shots of what can only be described as slightly better tasting than gasoline, and walks over to me. She looks weary tonight; her eyes don't have their normal sparkle.

"Hey, how did it go?" I'm almost afraid to ask.

"Three hours with that woman would make even Mother Teresa lose her shit."

"So, not good then?"

"Both of her lungs have fluid, and she's coughing up blood. It's not good. She's really sick, but also feisty. If anyone can beat the odds, I think she probably can. Trouble is, the odds really suck in these conditions."

Lauren's phone rings. She looks down to see who it is and rolls her eyes.

"Here. You talk to her. I've got to check on Tamsin again in a few hours, I'm going to bed." She thrusts her phone at me.

It's Evony.

"Hi, Evony. It's Dennis-uh, Bo. You just missed Lauren. She went to bed."

"Oh. I see, and you're still awake?" she asks, sounding a little suspicious.

"I sure hope so. This could be a really awkward conversation if I'm asleep. Do you want me to give her a message for you?"

"No, just have her call me in the morning."

"Sure, okay. I'll tell her you called. If you see Kenzi, tell her hi for me."

She hangs up abruptly.

"Oookay then. Bye to you too," I say sarcastically.

I say goodnight to everyone and decide to head off to bed myself. I've only been up for a few hours now, but my sleep schedule has been all messed up since I arrived in Antarctica. I could use some more rest. Plus, knowing the doctor is already in bed is just way more appealing to me than watching more rounds of ping pong.

After brushing my teeth and changing into a soft pair of flannel pajama pants and tank top that Knox let me borrow, I turn out the light and slide into bed next to Lauren. The bed is already so warm from the doctor's body heat.

I'm lying there quietly in the dark, listening intently for her soothing breathing pattern again.

Lauren startles me when she says suddenly, "I'm sorry, Bo."

"Sorry for what?" I ask, a little confused as I roll over to face her. Is this about her being draped all over me this morning, I wonder? Because she seriously does not need to apologize for that.

"I'm sorry this trip turned out to be such a mess," she sighs. "You were so excited to get started on your work, and now you're stuck here. I feel bad."

"It's fine, Lauren, really. Anyway, I'm stuck here with you. That's not a bad thing in my book."

It's dark and I can't see her face, but I can feel her. We're really close. So close, I can feel her warm breath on my face. She can't see me either, but I can sense her eyes are on me. The room is getting warm again. I gasp a little when I feel her hand running softly along the side of my cheek, an intimate gesture I wasn't expecting.

My stomach flutters.

I'm sort of holding my breath now, and dying to know what she's thinking. Seconds seem to go by like hours. The doctor is totally in control of the situation now because I know if I move a muscle, I'm going to try and kiss her. I won't be able to take it back.

Neither of us say a word, as the tension in the room crackles. The doctor's hand is still cupping my cheek, as she leans a little closer, her lips grazing mine gently.

My heart stops.

I feel like I'm lost in some sort of loop where time is standing still. Did that just happen, or did I imagine it? Several heartbeats later, her mouth is on mine fully. My mouth responds to hers immediately, wanting to devour her tender lips. I can't stop myself as I place my fingers on her hip and pull her closer to me, deepening the kiss. I want her closer. I want to consume her. I want to…

We are jolted back to reality in the most unkind way when an alarm goes off loudly in the entire building. Lauren grabs my arm and pulls me out of bed. We rush out to the hallway, wondering what the hell is going on.

"False alarm, everybody! False alarm!" Ferguson yells out. He sees us and explains, "Some idiot tossed a cigarette onto the pool table, where it started to smolder. Then some complete head case panicked and tried to put out the fire with that blasted moonshine, which promptly went up in flames."

"So no fire?" Lauren asks.

"No fire," Ferguson assures her. "Just moonshine."

I want to disagree, because there was plenty of smoldering going on in that bed, but Lauren tiredly rubs her eyes and declares she's giving up on sleep and going back to check on Tamsin.

I grab the doctor by her arm as she starts to shuffle off. "Can you wait a second?"

"I'm sorry about...back there...that moonshine must have just really hit me hard."

"But Lauren…" I protest as she pulls away from my grasp. Lauren straightens into full military bearing.

"Dr. Dennis, I have a patient to attend to."

I watch helplessly as she marches away from me.


	7. Chapter 7

The kiss was real. I know that much. _Damn moonshine_, I think bitterly. But...she didn't seem tipsy. She seemed in complete control, but then again, alcohol makes some people bold. Not everyone becomes a giggling, flirtatious disaster like me.

As a scientist, naturally I contemplate the alcohol to body weight formula for a moment. Lauren probably didn't eat anything before she drank. She's a little taller than I am, but then she's under more stress which would increase blood flow. She _was_ really warm-yes, warm and pressed up against me.

My mind drifts to how our bodies fit together so nicely. The way the slightest brush of her lips against mine sent lightning coursing through my body. I'm tossing around in the bed that once seemed so small, but now feels expansive without her here next to me.

Lauren stumbles in, exhausted, a couple of hours later and quietly slides into bed. Not really knowing what to say to her, I pretend I'm asleep. I hate this. I want to continue where we left off. I want to talk. I want…

But I know it's not only about what I want.

We continue this pattern for the next several days. The doctor tends to Tamsin during the day, while I hang out and find ways to make myself helpful to the others at the station. Lauren isn't sleeping much, since she gets up every few hours and starts all over again. She's pushing herself to the limits for Tamsin, and maybe also to avoid me. I wonder if she's eating well and if she can keep this pace up for much longer. We really only see each other at night when she comes in, takes a shower, and crawls into bed. I lie there "asleep" and wish we would just talk to clear the air, but neither of us takes that first step.

Tonight, however, is different. I've decided I will break the ice no matter what, when she comes back.

After her shower, she crawls into bed with her back to me. I'm slowly working up the nerve to say something. I've rehearsed several things, but none of them feels right at the moment. The silence over these last few days has become deafening.

It's difficult to tell for sure, but I think she might be crying. Is she upset because of what happened between us or is it something else? I'm probably the last thing she wants right now, but it's my turn to try and comfort her like she comforted me after my dream. Then again, I don't know if she will be accepting of that.

Despite my reservations, I reach out and touch her shoulder, letting her know I'm awake.

"Are you okay? Do you want to talk?" I ask, feeling like I probably already know her answer. "I want you to know I'm not upset about what happened between us the other day. I don't want you to be too hard on yourself." _What am I saying? I didn't mind it? I wanted her to kiss me! _

"It was unprofessional. You have every right to be upset with me. Wanna know what's worse?"

"Uh, okay-sure?"

"I've been down this road before. This isn't the first time. A similar thing happened with Evony. A couple of drinks, an inappropriate kiss..."

"So you and Evony...you're a thing?"

"No," she answers, exasperated. "There was a kiss after a holiday party. It gets lonely out here sometimes, you know? The kiss led to other things. I wasn't thinking clearly, but Evony wants it to be more."

"And you don't?"

"For me, it was just a one time thing."

"And you're upset now because you're afraid that after kissing me, this will turn into a similar situation...that I will act like Evony and expect more from you?"

"No."

"Okay…"

"I'm afraid that Evony will make your life hell. She's run others off simply for being my friend. If she were to find out there's even a hint of something more between us, you might as well pack your bags and head home. Your career here would be over."

"I'm a big girl. I can handle the consequences. So I don't make a name for myself in Antarctica. I have a long and illustrious scientific career ahead of me, penguins be damned," I try to reassure her.

"It's more than that, though," she continues. "I'm afraid of how I react whenever I'm near you. I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself the next time. I'm pissed for allowing all of this to happen in the first place when my focus should be on my patient. I'm afraid that I won't be able to save Tamsin, that I will have failed as a doctor. Again. I can't let any of these things happen, Bo. I just can't."

I'm sort of stunned by her honesty with me. She has no reason to be so open, but I admire her even more for it.

"Sometimes, Lauren, these things have a way of sorting out all on their own." I'm kicking myself at how lame that must sound to her right now, but it's the first thing that comes to mind.

"Yes, you're probably right," she says resignedly.

We must have fallen asleep shortly after our talk because the next thing I know, I'm waking up and the bed is empty beside me. I really miss her when she's gone. I think I'm actually starting to get homesick for Palmer Station, too, which is funny since it's only been my home for a few weeks now. I'm ready to get back to my work routine, something to put my back up against. When I finally do get home, though, it's going to feel strange not having Lauren around as much. I've gotten spoiled.

Ferguson said he could use some help with some odd jobs today, so I decide to get up and make the most of the day and quit my moping. I take a long, steamy shower to help wake myself up since I have no morning coffee to look forward to.

I come out of the bathroom still dripping wet, looking for some clothes to put on, and decide that the warm burgundy sweater and jeans will do just fine. I'll have to be sure to thank Knox for letting me borrow all these things, since they've been a real lifesaver.

I'm just pulling on jeans when Lauren abruptly bursts through the door.

The look on the doctor's face when she sees me will be etched in my memory for quite some time. An intricate combination of embarrassment and lust. I don't even have my bra on yet, but I decide to just act confident and casual about the situation.

"Could you throw me that sweater please?"

"Wha…?" The doctor is struggling to tear her eyes away from my chest.

"On the edge of the bed, right there-"

"Yes. Of course...sorry." She regains her composure. I have to give her credit because I probably would have passed out if I had walked in on her like this. She walks over to me and hands me the clothes instead of throwing them.

"I wasn't expecting you back for awhile." My comment comes out sounding more like a question as I pull the sweater over my head.

"I wanted to talk to you." Lauren walks back to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Oh? Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Good news, actually. The weather's finally clearing up. I'll be able to take you home in the morning." She smiles up at me with her big brown eyes.

"What about Tamsin?"

"I got her to eat some toast this morning, and she was able to sit up for an hour without much coughing. I think she's on the upswing. She even thanked me, if you can believe that."

"You cured her bitchiness? You're a better doctor than you give yourself credit for," I joke. Lauren flushes the most beautiful shade of pink.

"I probably need to get back now, but I was wondering if you would meet me back here at six o'clock? There's something I'd really like to show you," she asks shyly.

"Sure, okay. Six."

"Great! Um, see you then."

I spend the afternoon assisting Ferguson with miscellaneous jobs around the station, but around a quarter to six I look for my opportunity to make a quick escape. I can't wait to see Lauren and find out what she wants to show me. I have absolutely no idea what it could be, but I'm kind of hoping that she changed her mind about having a torrid love affair with me. Or, at least that she found a secret stash of coffee beans.

When I get to the room, I find her already there waiting for me. She's dressed in thick black snow pants with suspenders over a white turtleneck. Now that I think about it, she kind of resembles a penguin, and you know how I love penguins.

Her eyes have their sparkle back when she hands me my own winter ensemble: pants, boots, parka, gloves, hat...the works.

"Put these on. You're going to need them."

I go along with whatever she has planned without questioning and quickly get suited up in the bathroom. The clothes are really big on me, and I come back out feeling like an overgrown stuffed animal. Lauren's smile practically lights up her whole face when she sees me. I'd probably blush if it weren't so good to see her looking happy for the first time in days.

We shuffle down several hallways together in our suits, making our way outside. The frigid air smacks me in the face and immediately takes my breath away. It's so damn cold that I will never complain about this giant puffy snow suit ever again. We both put on gloves and goggles, and Lauren helps me pull up my parka hood, fastening it on tightly.

There's is a snowmobile parked there, apparently fueled up and waiting for us, because Lauren climbs on, extending her hand for me to get on behind her. I snuggle up against her and hang on, my arms wrapped tightly around her waist. I have no idea where we are headed, and I don't really care. I'm ready for whatever the enigmatic doctor has in store for me. For us.

I'm humbled by the scenery and the sheer beauty all around us, as we swiftly travel what I think is north, over miles of snow and ice. Lauren's body protects me by blocking some of the wind. After speeding several miles from the station, we reach the crest of a glacier and slow to a stop. The doctor shuts off the snowmobile and climbs off. I'm still clueless about what she wants to show me. It's just miles and miles of pure white in every direction you look.

Lauren grabs my hand and pulls me off the snowmobile. She doesn't let go as she carefully leads me up the icy slope. Each step over slippery terrain is tedious and slow, as we're both being cautious not to fall on our asses. I feel like a newborn fawn who doesn't quite have control over her legs, but Lauren helps to keep me steady.

Once we reach the top, that's when I see them. The colony. Thousands of Chinstrap penguins huddled together in the valley between two glaciers. They are immediately recognizable by the thin line that circles from behind one eye, under the chin, to behind the other eye - much like a chin strap. They prefer a higher, rocky terrain like this to nest. It's a perfect place for them, safe from the elements and predators that won't come this far inland.

"They're beautiful!" I squeal like a little girl.

"I thought you'd like it." She smiles. "The sky is really clear tonight for the first time in days. Now that March is getting closer, the daylight is waning, and I wanted you to see them in all their glory before it gets dark."

I notice the change in the sky, and it is getting darker. It's been continual sunlight since I've arrived here.

"I also wanted you to see something else."

I look at her inquisitively.

She looks down at her watch before she declares, "About 10 more minutes, you'll see."

We stand together, side by side in silence, looking out over the colony until the sun finally dips down below the icy horizon. The sight takes my breath away. Brilliant orange and pink light slips gracefully down between massive glaciers, announcing a grand end to the day. A few minutes later we make our way back down the hill, even slower this time because it's darker. I find myself choking back tears. I just opened myself to the raw beauty of this place, and I think I fell in love with it. Antarctica is even more than I imagined it would be. I also have Lauren to thank for that.

Back at the snowmobile she turns on the lights and digs around in a backpack, pulling out a silver thermos.

"If that's moonshine…" I tease her.

"Nope. Coffee," she grins. "Apparently Thomas and Whitaker make terrible moonshine, but excellent coffee."

"Oh. My. God." I grab the thermos from her grip and deeply inhale the scent of the hot liquid.

It's perfect.

She's perfect.

With one of my secret hopes about our rendezvous coming true, I can't stop myself from trying for the other. I grab her by the parka and pull her towards me for a kiss. Our cold noses rub against each other, as I lose myself in the feel of her mouth on mine. Her soft lips are so warm and inviting, my whole body instantly heats up. Deepening the kiss, I grip her parka tighter, wanting to let her know how much I want her. I'm breathless now, but reluctant to stop. I slowly release her mouth, not because I want to, but because I simply need oxygen. To my surprise, Lauren lets out a small moan in protest before she pulls away and straightens herself up. Maybe it's frigid temperatures, but I think she has me feeling suddenly lightheaded.

She stands there in front of me, looking a bit stunned.

Even though I'm not even a little sorry for my actions, I open my mouth to begin an apology.

She stops me with a reassuring smile. "Wow, I had no idea you liked coffee that much." That's all she says to me before she gets on the snowmobile and fires up the engine. I settle in behind her once more and we make our way under darkening skies back to the station.


	8. Chapter 8

With night falling, the trek back seems to take much longer. I have no horizon in the distance to help me find my bearings so I just cling tightly to Lauren, closing my eyes and laying my head flush against her back. I determine that I want to continue to hold on to her. After that kiss, I'm sure of it. I'm not going anywhere. I want to fight for her. For us.

We park the snowmobile around the back of the building, and head to our room in silence.

Every body part is now aching and frozen from the frigid ride back to the station. I can barely feel my fingers as I pull my gloves off and shove them into my coat pockets. It was all worth it though. Replaying that kiss in my mind is thawing me out….mmm, that kiss...it kick-started a hunger in me that I can barely contain. My stomach is still full of butterflies.

Lauren is quiet. I'm not sure what she's feeling, but I'm having tunnel vision. I simply cannot get back to our room fast enough. I'm singularly focused, wanting to make the moves on her, and that's all I can really think about. I'm hoping to sneak back to our room unnoticed, so I'm glad to see that nobody at the station seems to be hanging around this evening, to intercept us, and ask us about what we've been up to. I'm also thankful that Ferguson never found another place for me to stay. I plan to take full advantage of the circumstances while I still have the chance.

Then the doubts start to creep in.

What if the doctor is being quiet because she's thinking of the nicest way to shut me down? She did explain that she couldn't let something like this happen between us.

Was I being disrespectful to kiss her like some rabid, hormonal teenager? Was our outing tonight simply an olive branch, a gesture to show me that she wants to continue a friendship?

An enjoyable, evening snowmobile ride: _Alone. Super snuggly. But practical, to take just one, especially considering I don't know how to drive a snowmobile.._

With thousands of adorable penguins: _She knew I would swoon for that. But maybe she wanted to distract me, get me focused on my work again._

A spectacular arctic sunset: _Breathtaking. So romantic. Or maybe all sunsets look like that here._

Best coffee I've had in weeks: _I'm still buzzing from the taste of it on her lips._

It could've all just been completely normal, friendly-friend type stuff…_or was it?_

My head is spinning. I'm suddenly full of insecurity and feeling like I need to get a better hold of my emotions, to reel them in. What if I'm reading too much into all this, my crush on her clouding my judgement. I don't want to mess this up. I want to try and fight for a relationship with Lauren, but only if I know it's something she wants, too.

By the time we finally make it back to our room, I'm beginning to feel a little foolish. I open the door, and Lauren walks in behind me, then I slowly lean back against the door with my whole body until it clicks shut. Closing my eyes, I run my fingers through my hair, taking a moment to try and shake off the heaviness that's starting to settle in my chest. I'm bracing myself for the impending friendzone talk that could happen at any moment now. Trying to figure out my next move.

No sooner has the door shut, when Lauren surprises me by turning around and springing on me like some kind of wild predator. Closing the distance between us in an instant, the doctor is now pushing her body fully against mine, pinning me to the door. It all happens so fast that my heart is pounding out of my chest.

The spark between us is electric. When she runs her thumb agonizingly slowly along my bottom lip, my entire body instantly ignites, aching with arousal for her. Any doubts I had about her feelings for me immediately dissipate once I feel the energy and weight of her body pushing into mine. I reach out and grab her around the waist, pressing my thigh between her legs, at the same time capturing her perfect mouth with mine. The kiss starts out slow and sensual. Lauren groans when I gently slip my tongue inside her mouth. I can feel how responsive she is, fully present and putting all of herself into it, and it's turning me on.

The kiss builds quickly, developing into something much more desperate and raw. Soon our tongues are fighting for dominance, no longer gentle but determined for a deeper connection. I could happily kiss her like this for hours, but I'm hungry and already wanting more, so I walk us backwards a few steps towards the bed.

It's such a relief to finally release the tension that's built up, I feel like I've suddenly been unleashed, unable to hold back my feelings any longer. She must feel the same because we're both frenzied now, breathing heavily, our bodies already flushed and feverish. It doesn't take long before it becomes a free-for-all, our hands touching each other everywhere through our clothes. Realizing we're much too restrained with the bulky arctic clothing between us, we frantically start ripping off layers and discarding them onto the floor.

By the time we've stripped down to our underwear, I've managed to back Lauren up against the edge of the bed. Her blonde hair is tousled, hanging down in her face, and one of her bra straps has slipped off her shoulder. She looks so goddamn sexy that I want to devour her right where she stands. Instead, I push her back on the bed, crawling on top of her until I'm straddling her hips, pinning her arms on either side of her head. She looks up at me with approving brown eyes, heavy-lidded and dilated with arousal.

Leaning down, I kiss and bite her jaw, down the length of her neck and the smooth skin of her shoulder, until she's writhing wildly underneath me. Her responses are unrestrained and driving me deliriously closer to the edge with each noise she makes, but I'm taking my time, relishing each second of being able to elicit such delicious reactions from the always cool and controlled doctor. I've let go of all my inhibitions. But I don't want to push her too fast, I remind myself, so I ease up.

The second I release her arms, Lauren grabs me by the shoulders and pulls me down for another fiery kiss. Her hands then glide down from my shoulders to the back of my bra, expertly releasing the clasp, and removing it in one fluid motion. Wanting to get a better look at me, she pushes me back to a sitting position.

"My God. So beautiful."

Her hands are on my breasts in the next beat, both loving and insistent, her thumbs gently rubbing my nipples taut. I'm losing it. I arch my back towards her; with each caress, the ache swelling between my legs is becoming more unbearable.

Things are progressing in a fury, but I can feel her heat radiating beneath me, and it's driving me to distraction. Shifting my weight, I reach my hand down between us, sliding over her smooth, toned stomach, but I have a different destination in mind. The anticipation has become too much to handle; I'm now trembling with want for her.

She whimpers when she realizes where I'm headed.

I'm so eager, wanting to ravish her, but again, for a brief second I force myself to pause. My eyes silently ask for her approval, wanting to make sure she's comfortable with all this before I continue.

"God Bo, hurry, I need you," she pleads breathlessly, and that's all the encouragement I need to hear.

Waves of arousal wash over both of us when my fingers slip underneath her panties and find her hot center. Sliding effortlessly through her wetness, I tease all around her swollen sex until we both become unbridled, unable to wait a second longer. Lauren's head thrusts back, her eyes rolling in intense pleasure, when I slowly ease my fingers inside her heat.

"Oh, fuck, you feel so good," I gasp out, overwhelmed by the feel of her.

She's moaning now, as she grips the sheets tightly, her hips rising off the bed to meet me.

I can tell she's already getting close, her breathing ragged, her movements becoming more urgent and wild with each stroke. Faster. I eagerly give her whatever she wants, responding to the demanding orchestrations of her hips. Harder. At this point, I'm barely hanging on myself, so aroused that I feel like I could explode any second just from watching her unravel beneath me. Deeper. Just when I think she's about to let it all go, her rhythm slows, and she shoves my panties down and out of the way. I gasp when her fingers find me, gliding possessively through the arousal that has pooled between my legs.

"Together," she says, as she plunges her fingers deep inside me.

I'm suddenly breathless and trembling with desire, unable to keep my eyes focused. We slowly find a rhythm, moving in sync, until every muscle unites in the singular goal of giving pleasure to each other. So close. I can feel her tightening around me, and that's all it takes for me to lose myself, completely coming undone, exploding and shuddering on top of her. A few thrusts later, she follows, softly biting my neck as she comes, to muffle the sound of her own pleasure as the waves overtake her.

Lauren envelops me in her arms, and I collapse into her embrace, enjoying the warmth and comfort I feel there. Both of us are still spiraling, heaving and panting from the passionate exertion. We bask in a quiet, blissful haze for quite some time.

"Mmm. Wow." I smile down at her, kissing her soft lips affectionately. It's basically all I can muster since my brain is still blown, not fully recovered yet.

After a few minutes, I start to shift my weight off of her, but she squeezes me tighter, not ready to let go just yet. She rolls us over, and I offer up little protest. On top of me now, she's lazily kissing all over my torso. I'm still pleasantly sated and a little unfocused, but her gentle teasing is bringing me back to life.

"We probably need to talk," she mutters softly in between kisses.

"Talking is overrated," I respond sarcastically, but at the moment I kind of mean it. I don't want to come out of this post-coital haze just yet.

Lauren continues her sweet onslaught of open mouth kisses, each one setting my skin ablaze. She's systematically inching further down my body, kissing my stomach, my thighs, touching and teasing me all over. Her sweet torture already has me so hot, wanting her again. At this point I'm holding my breath, until she finally settles herself between my trembling legs.

"Ohh...fuck...Lauren.." I gasp out, pleading with her not to stop.

Warmth spreads like waves over my whole body, when she finally finds my center, tasting and exploring me with her hot tongue. I want her so bad, I'm groaning, throbbing with need again. I grab her head, pushing my hips up into her as she inches me ever closer to climax with her relentless tongue. I'm already a little bit out of control, teetering on the edge when she teases my opening with her lithe fingers, pushing them slowly back into my wetness. All the sensations come crashing together at once, and soon I'm crying out, coming hard underneath her.

It takes me a while to come back down to earth, and I'm not sure I really want to, as Lauren climbs back up and drapes herself fully on my body. She's so patient, and incredibly sexy, kissing along my collarbone and slowly grinding herself on my thigh while she waits for me to recover. She's worked up again, needing her own release, and I don't want to keep her waiting. I kiss her again, sensually, slowly sucking her bottom lip into my mouth as I grab her hip and guide her, pushing my fingers inside her fully. She's still so wet, it doesn't take long before she is riding me hard, moaning in my ear, climaxing once more.

"Oh dear God...I can't.." she says breathlessly, collapsing on top of me.

"You can't? I think you just did." I say with a huge, satisfied grin.

"Can't. Breathe," she sputters.

"Mmm, I got you," I whisper in her ear. "So beautiful."

Both of us are drifting off, almost asleep in each other's arms, when someone unceremoniously bursts through the bedroom door unannounced. In my haste, I guess I forgot to lock it behind me earlier. Lauren freezes, then rolls off of me, quickly covering herself up with the sheet.

"Oh, my God, were you raised in a barn?" I blurt out. It's Tamsin. "Oh, of course. Tamsin. Well I guess that answers my question."

Tamsin ignores me, but has a huge grin across her face, thoroughly enjoying the scene she's stumbled in on. Clothes strewn all over the floor. Both of us naked. The smell of sex still hanging in the air. There's no denying what's been going on in this room. Tamsin's biting her bottom lip.

"Had I known these hot girl-on-girl festivities were going on at the station, I would have gotten better a lot sooner. I'm hurt that I wasn't invited to join in the party, Dr. Lewis. I bet that kind of hands-on medicine really cures what ails ya."

Lauren is blushing, and I'm getting annoyed.

"What do you want, Tamsin?" Lauren and I say simultaneously.

"You didn't come to check on me this evening, Doc, now I can see why. Looks like you had your hands full. Anyway, Ferguson wants to know if you're ready to sign off on me going back to work. I need you to sign this form, then I'll be on my way...unless you want me to join…"

"Just give me the form," Lauren demands tersely, not amused.

Tamsin hands over the form, and unabashedly stares me up and down while the doctor is hastily filling it out. I want to smack that smirk right of her smug face, and I think she knows it, maybe even likes it.

"There. You're all set, Tamsin. Paperwork signed. Lock the door on your way out." Lauren thrusts the paper and pen back at her.

Just as Tamsin is about to leave, she turns around. "Oh, one more thing. Ferguson said someone named Evony called this evening. She couldn't get ahold of you, but then, I guess, you were too busy to check your phone."

"Did Ferguson say what she wanted?" Lauren asks, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Something about another sick patient over at Palmer Station. Kersey? Kelsey? I don't remember."

"Kenzi?!" we both blurt out at the same time.

"Yeah, that's the one. Kenzi. Seems that everyone needs your skills, huh, Doc?" She winks, not so subtly in my direction, before she slams the door shut.

"Shit!" I'm out of bed and pacing the room now. I'm still naked, but I don't even care. I'm just freaking out, hoping Kenzi is okay. I'm picking up the clothes we had scattered everywhere and throwing them on the bed, not really being helpful, but I can't really think clearly at the moment. _Where are my clothes? Wait, these aren't even my clothes.._

I spin around and Lauren's already fully dressed in her flight suit, hair up in a neat ponytail.

"Here. Suit up." She hands me my flight suit. "I'm going to find Ferguson, let him know we're leaving right away. We'll take off just as soon as I get back."

She strides towards the door, on a mission, and I can't help but admire her coolness under pressure. She's just about to leave, when she stops, and turns back around. Before I can ask her what's the matter, she's already made her way back to me, grabbing me by the waist, and pulling me in for a tender kiss.

"We'll continue this later," she states matter of factly.


End file.
